A Hero’s Return: Chapter 1

In the tattered ruins of a desolate land with dark clouds, two powerful figures stand alone surrounded by the cracks and craters of scorched earth. The wreckage of a chaotic battle between two beings holding the powers of heaven and hell that ripped the very space and time they dominated was drawing to a close.

The first figure was an eerie and seemingly middle-aged man with two twisted horns protruding from his head. Emitting an aura of death and darkness, he possessed crimson wings and blood red eyes with deep black pupils that emitted insanity and anger. His appearance could be mistaken for a monster with his skin of ink black and demonic aura. The second was a high human appearing about twenty or so years old. The tall youth was a young man with dark black hair and dark brown eyes. Though his looks could be only called slightly above average, he had a fiercely determined glint in his eyes and a reliable air. The two were facing each other with unyielding spirit.

The only sound in the rough the breathing from the older of the individuals. He was covered in numerous wounds from the aftermath of the battle. Their hands wield their legendary weapons of a mass destruction. The young man, the hero, holds a sword of dazzling sharpness. A fearless grin was on his face. The other, the demon lord, grasps an oversized longsword of demonic black. Nervous cold sweat was running down his back. The two stood silently as flames crackled and smoke dissipated. Then, at last, the demon lord fell to his knees.

The hero cautiously sheathed his sword and then approaches the demon lord. Their chaotic battle that had turned the once vast and grand castle into nothing but ruins has finally come to an end. The footsteps of the hero seem to echo as he approached the fallen demon god. Soon, the hero, Nakamura Kuro, was less than a meter away from the last fallen ruler of monsters, Lazhar Zar Presynore.

“What now Demon Lord? Need a break before the next round?”

“Damn it! How long. How long have we’ve fought… that day that I crashed that ceremony. Who would have known that the weak kid that I kicked to the side would become such a pain in the ass? Haha, do you still remember the fear?”

The demon lord whose obsidian armor is now in shambles spoke to Kuro with cursing words. Kuro smiled.

“How could I forget. I appeared in this world with nothing, but my wits. I was alone. I was confused. And I was afraid. At that crowning ceremony, you thought that I was only a weakling. Remember how you burst into the throne room with those once fearsome wings of yours?”

The demon lord, Lazhar made a small laugh.

“Haha, I remember. You were so helpless like a starving dog. I could have killed you right there. That was my biggest mistake. To bring calamity! To rage war on all life! I declared to the world, the rise of a true demon lord. The birth of the True Maou! Your fearful eyes were my first joy after I awaken into a demon god!”

The beginning of it all. After seemingly encountering a dimensional rift, he was sent to another world by God. He was told that he would only be allowed to return if he helped the God with a few “small” tasks. At first, he only had his wits and a good heart. He had no power and was left hopeless. Magically appearing in the middle of a ceremony, the transported Japanese’s first scene was the demon lord bursting through the wall behind him. The high school student was in a state of panic and confusion from the transport. The demon lord who burst through the wall and saw the surprised and scared Kuro. He gave him a chilling smile of amusement and kicked Kuro to the wall, treating him as small fry that wasn’t even worth killing. He hit the ground hard and watched as the monster then proceeded to create the scene of a bloody throne supporting a lifeless body.

This was the start of a war and of a legend. Kuro was identified by an oracle as the summoned hero. Through many battles and meeting many friends, he became stronger. He was no longer the bullied loner high school student. He became the hero that exceeded legends.

“I swore to never be helpless. I swore to never give in and to never live with any regrets. Through the people I met, I gained a bit of their strength and kindness. You looked down on me. You looked down at the potential of humans. I learned everything I could to take you down.”

“I fought you for so long. I sent entire armies of millions after you along with countless soldiers and lesser demon lords. Who would have thought that you’d become such a monster, but strength? Kindness? Human potential? Don’t make me laugh! It was the hatred in your heart! You and I are the same. We both became strong to get revenge, to defeat our weakness. I was too was weak. I hated the unfairness of the world so I became strong. I became strong enough to make kingdoms kneel! I was the born from that rage to become unstoppable! We’re no different!”

The demon lord furiously spouted these words at Kuro. The hero was silent for a moment, lost in thought.

“No. We aren’t the same. Our paths were different. I may have succumbed to my hate and desire for power in the past. But my reason for getting power to stop you was never for revenge.”

“Don’t lie to me bastard! If it wasn’t for revenge, then what could it have been?!?”

The hero looked at the ferocious red eyes of the demon lord. He did admit that he had gone out of control in the past and sometimes thought of revenge, but in the many years in this world, he learned many lessons and he grew from them. He gave the demon lord another smile. Then he replied:

“To go home.”

The hero extended out his palm and a bright white light emitted from it. It rapidly grew before exploding with tremendous. It was like the power of the novas being released. The demon lord couldn’t say a single word before he became ash and smoke. Then, even those ash and smoke also disappeared leaving nothing behind.

The demon lord was entirely composed of the physical manifestation of malice. He was no longer a living lifeform with a soul. He was entirely miasma and the collect dark emotions of every living soul. Even if he was still human, Kuro had fought countless battles and would still not hesitate to kill him.

Suddenly as the lights dimmed and the hero stood alone, a blue magic formation appeared beneath his feet. Light emitted everywhere. There was a strong gust of wind as the earth shook. The complex magic circle beneath his feet also shot a pillar of light into the sky clearing the dark clouds above. He had already bid his farewells. He faced many hardships and create many happy memories. Now, the demon lord had been defeated and Kuro’s mission has completed.

“It’s over. I can finally go home.”

He let the light envelop him. His vision begins to blur and his consciousness fades.

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Kuro felt a pain in his head. His vision was dark and his mind was hazy and dizzy. A voice soon began to echo as he regains his consciousness.

“Huh? H-he’s waking up! Quickly! Get the doctor!”

The surprised and familiar voice of a panicked woman rang in his ears. His head still hurts and he slowly opens his eyes.

(Huh, should I say it?)

“A ceiling I’d never seen before.”

His eyes adjusted quickly and he began to look around. He found he was on what looks like a hospital bed. He was hooked to an IV bag. Looking around, he saw the owner of the voice. Kuro’s stare fell on a youthful woman with tired eyes. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes as memories resurfaced.